Rotary valve sprayer



NOV. 27, 195] G, H, BRAMHALL 2,576,669

ROTARY VALVE SPRAYER Filed May 19, 1949 T-" .1. 3 l///////////////////////////l\\\l///////////// Iventor: George H. Bvamhall,

y His Attovey.

Patented Nov. 27, 1951 George-H. Bra-nhen, Cleveland, chimes/signer 'to General ElectridGompaL- a carpet-ation of New York Appneation' May '19, lsfieseriarno. 94,'177

This 'invention relates to a' sprayer for-atomi'z ing liquids, and more 'particularly to sprayer with a valve to'contr'ol the quantity Vof material 'in the' spray; A

The utility of a sprayer is increased bypioviding a means for regulatingfth'e volume of material discharged 'in the spray. A'suit'able control for this purpose permits the sprayer to' be fused Vfor many diierent applications and with various'liiuids. Several different arrangements -for'sp'r'ay control 'canrbe devised; y v-l'or l'exaiple, the spray may be "controlled by' regxilati'ng the volume' 'of air discharged at the-spray nozzle. While's'ch an arrangement may 'besati'sfactory 'With-hand sprayers, it not particularly 'suitable Lvfor'sprayers supplied from a `motor driven 'source of 'cm-` pressedair designed to' deliver'a'constant volume. Another construction 'for controlling the-spray is in the form 'of a means for controlling the v.pres-'- sure within the 'receptele'or container for the materialbeirig sprayed. However, Withsuch are rangements, it is difficult-:to provide a control system Which is in'stantane'cnislyv responsive to' the will of the operatori -I find `it' preferable-to provide'a valve for regulating the-flow of material to be sprayed-to the spray nozzle.

It is, therefore; a primary object of my invention to provide a lsprayer readily-controllableby the operator to regulate'the volume of vmaterial discharged in the spray. l

It is 4also anfobject of my invention toffprovide a sprayer which, -by the` simplicity ofyits component parts, is eComm-maltomanufacturea A Another object is to design the parts so that theymay hetaken apart' for easy cleaning.

A further object of my invention is to increase the ease With which the sprayer may be operated With a simplified adjustment to regulate the "slay While the device' is v A still further object of inventin liste provide a -sprayer vparticularly adapted for use as an attachment vvithv'acum cleaners.

For' accomplishment ofthe foregoing 'objetitive's, a feature of. my inventi'on-"zonsists'n'l'em- 'plym'ent f a rotary valve tocotrol aideg'ulate, at the will of the operator, the rate at which the material being sprayed' may 'pass from a receptacle or container lfprf'such materiaflto'the 'spray nozzle.

The features'f my invention which I believe 'to be novel'are set forth with par'ticularity Hin-'the `almended claims. My inventiontselfy'lowever.

' 2 Glaiins. (Clr299-"89J both as to its organization and method of' operationftogether with further objects and'advanta'gee thereof, may best be understood by reference te the 'renewing description taken 'in eorineetien with the accompanying drawing. in which Figure 1 is' a Side lvation, partially in rection, y0f 'a sprayer Aensl'frlicted accordance Wth'ny invention; Figure 2 a planvevv, partiallyin section, of the'dei'l'ice4 'shovv'nvloy Figure n1; Fi'g'e' is' afront elevat'n taken 'atright--an'glj to the view shown by Figure 1; Figures 4 and-5 ferent positions` of 'the valve employed with this sprayer. F v

"Referring `to Figure 1 'of jtlie drawing, I have 'shw' a 'sprayer constructed "in aco'rdce'wth nly invntn'adapted paiticularly'for usefvvith v'ac'i'l'un cleaner. It i's t' be understood, Yof course, that Tiny invention is 'not limited s'elly t use an'attallnent for a van cleaner, since this spraying dev'oe'may be *connected to any eo'm'pess'd 'air "source of 'Suitable pressurel `Afeo'ntaneror receptacle l., for example, a glass jar?, iS adapted to' receive a duantityof the Inaterial to be sprayed. 'The open mouth of con'- taiiler |"iS Screw' 'tlleadd.J t IC'eiVe the Spray cap o'r "c'over 2, formed'as'an integral unit of nlded plastic or'other suitable material. VCover `2 serves not only-as a closure 4for container l but also" a's'an air supply tube and 'a spray nozzle. The'air supply tube'3 isadapted to'b'e conncted to an ai'r supply'conduit, such' asa flexible nose. Foi thel purpose `"of Vlocking the'airv supply isonduit-(noty shown) 'to the tubular portion 3., van annular groove" V`4 v ispro'vided 'for 'cooperation With-ra 'suitableflatch on the air supply conduit. 'Anair bla'stfnzzle 5 Ais lformed in' the `tubular portion 3 at its end opposite the'po'int of conne'c tion tortheair Supply vhose o'r conduit. This nozfzle 5, -`i1'r'the form /of'an apertur"e'-"of lgent-'wally circular"conguration, forms va` 'port fromwhich ablastof airis'suesfdufring operationto atomize the material :being sprayed. A discharge duct Aoi" passageway Etermi'nate's centrally `ofapen- 'turey 5. Thus, the' material to be'sprayed discharges in'to thefcoreof the'air'fblastand eis im`- v mediately caught up hyv thev rapidly moving air and broken into fine particles Ato for-m the spray. Discharge ducti is forined `as a .passageway through a block iw-hich, vin turn, may be molded integrally as a part of cover 2- `alongwiththe tubular'por-tion f To control the spray, a valve operating knob 8 is provided on top of cover member 2. Knob 8 is rotatable between fixed stops 9 and I0, as best shown by Figure 2. Extending downwardly from knob 8 is a cylindrical valve body II. A supply tube I2 extends from near the bottom of container I upwardly and is inserted axially within valve body II. Intersecting tube I2 within the valve body II is a short radial passage I3. Passage I3 opens into the tube I2 to form a passageway for the material being sprayed. Block member 1 on its end opposite the air blast nozzle has a semi-circular groove I4 to receive the valve body I I. The radial passage I3 in valve body II is coplanar with the passageway 6. To permit mounting of valve body II within the tubular portion 3 of the cover, a suitable aperture I5 is provided in the upper wall of air tube 3 and likewise an aperture I 6 permits the Valve body to extend into the container I. Aperture I6 also serves to allow the air pressure within the air supply tube 3 to pressurize the content of container I in order to force the material to be sprayed up through tube I2.-

Valve body I I is held in rm contact with the semi-circular groove in block 'I by means' of a spring I 1. Spring I 'I has a U-shaped clamping portion which engages the cover portion I8 of cover 2. The upper portion of spring I'I, as shown by Figure 1, resiliently engages a notch or groove I9 on the valve body in a manner to prevent vertical displacement, and to force the valve body into ilrm contact with the semi-circular groove in block 1.

The operation of this device will be understood most clearly by a referencev to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 illustrates the valve body II rotated to a position in which radial passage I3 is completely aligned with the discharge duct 6. In this position, it will be seen that the material to be sprayed may pass upwardly through the tube I 2, outwardly through the radial duct I3, and into the discharge passage 6. Thus, with the valve adjustment shown by Figure 4,v the maximum amount of material will-be atomized in the spray. By rotating control knob 8 to its opposite limit, the valve is placed in the position shown by Figure 5. In this position, the liquid being sprayed is completely cut off from discharge duct 6. The operation of this device is also apparent from a reference to Figure 2. With the control knob 8 in the lower dotted line position and against stop I0, the valve is adjusted for full ow from receptacle I. By a simple movement, the operator may then shift the operating knob 8 to the upper dotted line position against stop 9, in which case the flow of material to the spray nozzle will be completely shut off. If desirable, control knob 8 may be adjusted to any intermediate position between stops 9 and I0 to regulate the rate of spray of the liquid.

In accordance with this invention as described and illustrated above, a sprayer is provided which is instantly controllable to produceV the desired spray. There is no need at any time-to adjust or regulate the volume or pressure of air delivered to the air blast nozzle. Likewise,V the contents of the container ior the material to be sprayed are under the same air supply pressure at all times. The mechanism for controlling the spray is extremely simple to manufacture and readily assembled. The simplicity of the-parts facilitates maintenance and cleaning and insures along life for the sprayer. y

While the present invention has been described by reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without actually'departing from the invention. I, therefore. aim in the appended claims to cover all such equivalent variations as come within the true spirit and scope of the foregoing disclosure.

What I Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letter Patent of the United Statesxis:

, 1.Ir1l a sprayerof the typehaving a container for a material to be sprayed and a cap engageable with said container, that improvement comprising an air supply tube as a part of said cap attachable to an air supply conduit at one end and defining an air blast nozzle at its other end, means within said tube and integral therewith defining a discharge passage for said material terminating adjacent said nozzle, and a valve member rotatably carried by said cap within said air supply tube, said valve member having a material supply tube extending to a point adjacent to bottom of said'container and providing communication from said material supply tube to said means, an operating knob directly connected to said valve extending outside of said air supply tube, rotation of said valve member controlling the extent of communication to regulate the spray, and an air passageway around said material supply tube extending from said air supply tube through said cap to said container for supplying air to said container.

2. In a sprayer attachment of the type having a container for a liquid to be sprayed and a cap for said container, that improvement comprisingV an air supply tube on said cap for connection with an air source and dening an air blast nozzle, means Within said tube and defining a passageway for liquid terminating at one end adjacent said nozzle, a valve member in said air supply tube, said valve member comprising a control handle therefor extending outside of said tube, a, liquid supply tube extending into said container, and a conduit within said valve member providing communication from said liquid supply tube to said liquid passage- -way means, said valve member being rotatable with respect to said means, whereby rotation of said valve member by said handle controls the extent of communication vbetween said conduit land said means, an air passageway adjacent said -valve extending from said air supply tube through said cap to said container, and a spring clip engaged with said cap in said air passageway 'and resiliently urging said valve member against said liquid passageway means.

GEORGE H. BRAMHALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

